Watch Out! Big Hole Ahead!

Holes. Sometimes they just seem to get in the way of our lives, don't they?
I was reminded of the damage that one simple "hole" can cause this past weekend in, what our family lovingly calls, another one of my "Lucy moments." You know what I mean, the moments in life that you know will be funny "someday," but are rarely funny, to you at least, at the time?
Our family had gone to the drive-in movie Friday evening, we love the drive in, especially when the weather's great & we can sit outside & open up the windows, it's just so fun & the kids love it! As the movie began, I ventured off on my mission to get the popcorn & drinks for Troy & I, plus 4 kiddos. I was quite proud of myself for even being able to get back to the car without spilling even one single drop of coke or one kernel of popcorn! "Wow," I thought to myself, "I've become really great at handling alot of items at one time, what a mom, what a multi-tasker!" Ha! I thought I'd set the drinks down first & then get the popcorn passed out to everyone, but lo & behold, just as I went to set the drink holder full of drinks on the mini-van rooftop, I realized, all too late, that the sunroof was open. A BIG load of coke dropped right through the sunroof hole as quickly as I'd set it down! SPLASH!!! A flood of Coke & Sprite went flying everywhere, a sticky mess throughout the back seats & covering the floor mats, & even a bit on my dear husband too, sorry honey, UGH!!!
You see, sometimes we can't even "see" the holes ahead of time, but they're there alright, all around us, we just don't recognize them in enough time, until the damage has been done.

Sometimes the holes are what we fall "into." You know the kind...you're walking along, having just a pleasant kind of day, humming a little song, & all of a sudden...Bam! "AHHHHHH!" You fall right smack into one big dark HOLE! Maybe some of us have fallen into a big financial hole these days, or a hole that would seek to steal our health away, or maybe it's more of an emotional or spiritual type of hole, but whatever it is, you just can't seem to climb out easily & really don't even quite remember how you got there in the first place. Sometimes the pathway is more subtle, just a stumble across a hole set right in your path, but hey, a stubbed toe hurts worse than anything, doesn't it? All kinds of temptations can be like that simple "stumble." One here, another there, but they can set us on a course that ultimately leads us to a deeper, darker place, that seems too difficult to attempt to get out of anymore. These particular holes in our lives have the potential to cause complete havoc! They may first only cause a little stumble, a distraction, but may quickly lead to a gigantic fall, and inevitably, they are most certain to cause alot of "pain" along the way.

Sometimes the holes are "around" us, like the holes in our marriages, or in our parenting, or in our workplace, or the holes in various other relationships in our lives. We just never really get around to "patching things up" like we say we intend to someday. But just like a leaky roof, or a leaky boat, holes that are never tended to, never patched up, can cause a MESS in our lives & in the lives of those around us. It's so much easier to patch a leaky rooftop, than to clean up after a flood, isn't it? Easier to fix a hole in the boat than to watch it sink?

Sometimes the holes are actually "in" us, or a part of us, like the holes in our pockets. Just can't ever seem to keep the money in there long enough, know what I mean? You find your life in that vicious cycle of money in - money out. Or, maybe someone once told you, that you had holes in your head. You just can't seem to follow through with the choices you know would be best for you or for your family. Sometimes the hole that often gets us in the most trouble in life is the one called the great, big mouth. We just keep seeming to say things we really didn't mean to say, after all, they just "came out," right? Didn't mean it the way it "sounded?" Or maybe, very sadly, you find yourself in a place in life where there are huge needs, big holes, in your innermost being - at the very core of your heart. Now those are the holes we can often "pretend" are not even there. We can even get pretty good at keeping those holes a "secret." We'd hate for others to know how deep those hurts go, how much those holes are actually affecting our lives. I mean, what would they say? What would they think? Isn't it better just to keep all that inside?

Yep, trying to cover the holes in & around our lives, pretending like they're not really there, or denying that those little "stumbles" are really all that bad, can become our best coping mechanisms against the very pain we find ourselves in. We get so good at filling those things up with all kinds of activities, busyness, & pleasures from this world, trying to make everyone think, or to even make our own selves think, that we're, well, "O.K." We all just want to be "O.K.," don't we? When people ask us how we're doing, we really do want to be "fine, good, doing just great," exactly like the way we normally respond!
But the truth is, if we were really honest, most of us either have had, do have, or will have, big needs in this journey called life...big spaces, gaps, that only God Himself is able to fill.

Years ago, when I traveled through Europe, every time I rode a subway or train, I'd hear those repetive, loud words, "Mind the gap." Many of you international friends or those who travel alot know what I'm talking about. It's that firm, commanding, warning type of voice, reminding awaiting passengers to BE AWARE! WAKE UP! WATCH OUT for the "hole," the gap between the platform & the train as they prepare to step on.

Maybe that's kind of like God's words over us in today's world, yet His voice is much more loving, reassuring, protective as He speaks wisdom & caution to us - MIND THE GAP. Watch out for those holes that might cause you to fall, patch the ones that will help bring healing to relationships in your life, & don't ignore the ones you find deep in your own life. Mind it, take care of it, let God reach down, fill your needs, heal your wounds & set you free from whatever would seek to hold you down in life. Our God is a GREAT REDEEMER!

"I waited patiently for the Lord, he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire, he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God...Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust..." Psalm 40:1-4

Dear Aunt Becky...

Dear Aunt Becky,
Remember that make up you bought me for Christmas? Well, I really, really like it & I'm not sure how it happened so fast, but I've almost completely run out! Do you think you could buy me some more because I don't think my mom will. She said not until I'm 16, whatever that means. I like to put on lots of it, especially right before we're getting ready to walk out the door to go somewhere, like today, I put it on right before I was leaving for my class. (: I thought I looked FABULOUS! You would have thought so too. I even put some on Noah one day, he didn't like it as much as me, & I put some on my mom when she was sick one day & trying to take a nap. I tried to put some on Minnie too, but she kept running away, and Dawson won't even let me come near him with my make up, I can't understand why.



I LOVE MY MAKE UP! I can always find it even when my mommy tries to hide it from me for awhile, I'm a really good finder. And, I can always reach it, even when my mom puts it up somewhere high, I'm a really good climber too. My mom keeps saying she's going to buy Zack & Tobey something really LOUD or messy for their next gift. I'm not sure what she means by that, but she said you would probably understand. Thank you Aunt Becky for my make up & I would like to come visit you so we can do make up together. I love you very much!
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO!!!
Gracie (:
P.S. Do you think you could buy me some hair cutting scissors too?

"Silence is Golden," And Other Crazy Things I've Heard This Week...

Interesting statements I've heard the past few weeks:

1. Silence is golden.

Silence, golden? WHAT?! I'm fairly sure that whoever thought up this "great" saying was NOT a mom, and most definitely was NOT a mom of young children at home. I'm almost SURE the author that coined this phrase was a man, or possibly a mom who's children had grown up & moved on, or maybe even a mom who was awake at 3 am very grateful that all others in the house were finally asleep.

It's a tricky kind of thing, silence. I mean, you can just be going about your business, feeling like you're just getting alot down that day, almost feeling "happy" to know that your dear sweet children have finally learned how to play nicely together, "isn't that great," you say to yourself, "they're just so 'quiet,' wait a minute," then it strikes you, "they're TOO quiet!"

Silence, that deafening sound that can strike fear even in the hearts of the strongest of moms out there...it overtakes you in an instant, it sets you off, running, fast, too fast, you trip & fall over the trucks, you step on a lego, ouch...you realize you may have just lost control in those brief moments, you realize there may be some amazing MESS lurking somewhere in the house waiting for you to come search it out, you realize your child's adorable locks of curls may now be on the bathroom floor, you realize there may be water somewhere it's not supposed to be, you're afraid to see what your children "look like" after this momentary silence in the home, you're even more afraid to see if the diaper is off & they've left a surprise on the carpet...

Here's a few things that happened these past few weeks in our "silent moments" and a few things I've come to realize, once again:

- There is a reason that the Lego box says, "only intended for ages 6 & up," THIS is the reason.

- Any girl knows that hair is just "meant" to be cut. She did it again, cut the bangs, cute, huh? Believe me, we DO keep all scissors put away, the ones that helped with this haircut were my little manicure scissors she found in my purse. I found them hanging there in her hair, stuck. We're quite thankful that Gracie has not yet gone after her brothers' hair with the scissors.
I'm sure it's just a matter of time...

- "Mom, is it O.K. if I download & buy some "more" games on your cell phone?" WHAT? What games have you already downloaded & bought?!

Yes, parents beware, your 7 yr. old can "buy" games at the click of a button on the cell phone and if I knew how to even get to the games, I'm sure I could figure it out somehow! I have to admit, Dawson seems to be more "techno" minded than me, I still have to ask him how to turn on the IPOD. Sad, huh? And, what mom out there plays games on her cell phone anyway? Sure, maybe there's some dads that do, maybe they have some more "spare" moments in their day than we do. I know absolutely zero moms that spend time playing games on the cell phone. That feature is solely for keeping young children occupied while you are doing something really "important." (:

Yes, give me NOISE anyday over silence. If my kids are in the house or outside somewhere, I want to HEAR them! I LIKE LOUD!

2. Another crazy thing I've heard this week is this, "The scarecrow did it."

In another "silent" moment at home, we found Gracie in the midst of a colorful design of paint on the tile floor in the entry way. Troy said to her, "Gracie, who did this?" She, being the fast on her feet thinker that she is, quickly responded, "Noah did it." Troy said, "Did Noah do this or did Gracie do it?" She quickly scanned the room & set her eyes on the scarecrow I had just brought in from the yard. "Um, no, 'scarecwo' did it." (:

Ah yes, it's always nice to have someone else around to blame huh? The old Adam & Eve nature lives on in all of us, even in our 2 yr. olds!

p.s. Washable paint does not come out of grout on the tile. Unless, someone has some advice for me!

3. And lastly, I've just recently heard, "Your cell phone water indicator sticker is red."

WHAT???? All's I knew is that it had stopped working, blank screen, noone home, out, done, broken. I didn't even know that cell phones had water indicator stickers! Can't someone invent a water proof cell phone? Come on, it's the year 2008! I wanted to tell the guy at T-mobile, "well, OF COURSE the water indicator sticker is red, I have 3 young children at home & they can't seem to keep their hands off my cell phone!" Really, what's one toliet drop? A little water spill & it's done? My cell phone needs a wet suit or some kind of protective device, don't they make those?

Anyway, Troy got me a new one, it's green, it's cute. Thank you honey. I gave the kids my old one, of course they don't want that one anymore, they want to play with the NEW one. I said, "No way, I'm keeping this one safe, we can't afford to keep buying cell phones, or games either, for that matter!"

The next day, I accidentally dropped my cell phone in my iced tea. Plop! Oops.

Please don't tell Troy. (:

Winds of Change Blowing a Bit Too Much?

Are the "winds of change" blowing a bit too much for your comfort these days?



Feeling kind of "blue"?



Feeling rather "sour" about the media coverage of the election?



Feeling like you're going "head to head" with the more liberal mindset of today's culture?



Like you're just not "seeing things" the same way as CNN or other news reports?



Having a little "paper trouble" like our friends over at ACORN?




Tired of riding the "waves" of the up & down economy?



Wondering what's going to happen next????



Concerned about the future of your children? Feeling the need to tuck your sweet babies in a little tighter at night?




Be encouraged! You're not alone! We're in this thing together...and sometimes it helps to just have a few reminders in our day of what's really most important in life...





Take the time to hold hands with those you love.



Give someone else a "lift."



Keep going for the goal, aim high!




Don't be afraid to keep climbing.




Be prepared to flex your muscles & stand strong for what you believe!



Before you go out the door, always put on a "smile." (and cool sunglasses won't hurt either)



Keep your sense of humor throughout the day, even if your brother doesn't "appreciate" your jokes!



And always, always remember this one important thing...no matter who or what we face in life, the Greatest "Force" of all, our Lord Jesus Christ, is always and forever with you!




God bless you today!
Thinking of you and praying with you for our nation,
Stay STRONG!
The McDaniel's (:

Things Are "Nuts" Around Here!

My first mistake was giving Noah the bag of pistachios to eat.
My second mistake was trying to work on the computer while he & Gracie "played" & ate pistachios.
I just couldn't get to him fast enough (moms, I know you know the feeling)! Almost like it's happening in slow motion & you can already see what's going to happen next. He even came to show me his "trick" - you know the trick, the "pistachio in the nose" trick??? Where you can just barely see it, but then, it was too late - he sniffed & away it went! UGH! Have you ever tried to retrieve a pistachio from the nose of a screaming 2 yr. old? NO FUN & almost completely impossible!
Of course Troy & Dawson were out having a fun Father/Son time at Cubscouts (why am I always here by myself when things like this happen???).
I was kind of hoping it might just "fall out" on its own with a cough or a sneeze or something, no such luck...the pediatrician told me on the phone, "it MUST be removed & by the way we're closing in 30 minutes." That was all I needed to hear! Away we went.
We're home now, all is peaceful once again (Noah & Gracie are sleeping), for probably just a brief few moments, but I'll enjoy every bit of peace while it lasts. I know many of you can relate & have your own rocks, pebbles, & nuts stories. I'm sure I'll laugh about this in the days to come & we'll be sure to tell his children what a "handful" their daddy was!
I looked again at that picture I just posted earlier this morning of our little Noah. Yep, that's him all right, personality so captured in that one photo - superman cape on his back, football cleats on his feet (2 sizes too big), half dressed & headed outside to play, ALL BOY & we love him to pieces!
With Noah around, every day is an adventure.

Having One Of Those Days?

Are you having one of those days???


Feeling kind of "stuck?"



Like you're just making a mess of everything around you?



you can't quite get at what your reaching for...



and you can never seem to find what you're looking for...



and you just can't even begin to see around all that you have to do?



Just take a deep breath & SMILE....
Remember - God has a bigger plan for your day than you do!
He loves you SOOOOO MUCH..
have a great day!
Love, Gracie (:

Top 5 Things I've Learned This Fall

We've been celebrating birthdays this fall! Dawson turned 6, Gracie turned 1, & Noah just turned 2 last week, wow, things have been hoppin' around here!

On the rare moments when Gracie's not climbing everything in sight, she does enjoy getting into every available cabinet space or walking everywhere on her toes. She is the tiptoe queen, who knows, maybe ballet is in the near future? We shall see! Even though she dressed up as a cheerleader for our fall party, I think she really wanted to be a football player. She has now begun "tackling" Noah, paying him back for all those times. She's still running & keeping up with whatever her brothers are doing (I'm sure you'll notice the big scratch on her nose), but I try to keep a bow in her hair to remind her that she is a girl. (:

She loves, loves, loves animals, any & every kind, no matter how big or small & has the cutest little giggle you've ever heard.

Noah is our little "artist" in the family. He loves to color & draw, and prefers to work with black sharpie pens, lipstick, or whatever else seems to be almost impossible to remove from different areas of the house, ugh! I'm incredibly grateful for the people who invented washable markers, paints, and the Mr. Clean miracle sponge, Lord bless them, what a gift they are to moms.

Noah was a football player for fall & whether he's dressed up or not, he is a football player at heart. Wow, the boy can ram into you running full speed, you hardly know what hit you & the recent bruise on my leg proves it! (: Noah likes to work with his tools & loves "fixing thing," funny, wasn't there another guy named Noah who was really good with tools? He's saying lots of new words & phrases now, "mama, I do it, let me," "Otay," "shoes on," "pray, on knees."

Dawson, our little kindergartner now LOVES school, praise God for that! He's learning so much, loves books & learning how to read, his favorite parts of the day are always "recess" & "motor skills." He wanted to be one of his favorite superheroes this year, Incredible Hulk, & still loves to play superheroes everyday. He said to me the other day, "mom, heaven is going to be really awesome cause we'll get to play superheroes all the time since Jesus is the greatest superhero, I know He'll want to play alot." (:
He's such a sweet big brother - most days. On the rare occasion he has to visit the "time out" spot for some kind of havoc going on, I've got such a kick out of watching how Noah will go & sit right beside him until it's time for him to get out of time out. He'll even get that same "sad" look on his face too. So funny, what sympathy they have for one another. Now, Gracie does the same thing with Noah.

So, here's the top 5 things my kids have reminded me of this fall season...

1. Keep climbing, keep on your toes, doors are meant to be opened.
2. Keep expressing yourself creatively, true "art" from the heart is beautiful. (even if it's a black sharpie pen on a computer screen)
3. Pray, on your knees.
4. Sit quietly with someone who is hurting, even if they've done something that might have hurt you.
5. Jesus is our greatest superhero!

Love to you all! The Lord bless you richly this Thanksgiving season, we're so thankful you're a part of our lives.